HC Davos makes it through to the Swiss semi-finals of the Spengler Cup. Coach Josh Holden's team defeated IFK Helsinki 3-0 and will face Fribourg-Gottéron on Tuesday evening.
29.12.2025, 22:56
29.12.2025, 22:59
SDA
The shooting ratio is not always a good indicator in ice hockey, as it does not reflect the quality of the shots. In the duel between Davos and IFK Helsinki, however, it gave an indication of the balance of power in the first two periods: It was 21:12 (total 29:24) in favor of the HCD, and the hosts were clearly superior to the Finns. The score after 40 minutes was 2:0.
In the final period, the Davos team left nothing to chance against the weakest team at this year's Spengler Cup. In the 53rd minute, goalkeeper Sandro Aeschlimann made a spectacular save against Sean Josling. 69 seconds before the end, Tino Kessler made it 3-0 with a shot into the empty net.
Like 2024
Filip Zadina made it 1:0 in the 12th minute, benefiting from Brendan Lemieux blocking the view of Helsinki goalie Hugo Alnefelt. In the 3rd minute, the eye-catching Czech had twice failed to score from the edge of the goal. Simon Ryfors (23rd) was responsible for the second Davos goal; the Swede was in the right place after a rebound provoked by Lemieux.
This means that the semi-final between Davos and Fribourg will take place on Tuesday evening at 8.15 pm, just like last year. Back then, Gottéron turned a 1:2 deficit into a 4:2 victory in the final period and went on to win the only "title" in the club's history. Fribourg also won the last two meetings in the championship - albeit in front of a home crowd.
No home win yet
The question will be how much energy HCD has left in the tank in the fourth game in four days. A win would be the first for the Grisons against a Swiss team in this tournament since the switch to six teams in 2010, as the Davos team already suffered defeats in the semi-finals in 2016 (0:4 against Lugano), 2017 (3:8 against the Swiss national team) and 2022 (0:5 against Ambri-Piotta) and also against Gottéron a year ago.
Telegram:
Davos - IFK Helsinki 3:0 (1:0, 1:0, 1:0)
Davos. - 6762 spectators (sold out). - Goals: 12. Zadina (Ryfors, Barandun) 1:0. 23. Ryfors (Lemieux, Zadina) 2:0. 59. Kessler (Asplund, Stransky) 3:0 (into the empty net). - Penalties: 1 x 2 minutes against Davos, 3 x 2 minutes against IFK Helsinki.
Davos: Aeschlimann; Fora, Barandun; Frick, Dahlbeck; Andersson, Jung; Guebey; Stransky, Asplund, Kessler; Frehner, Corvi, Tambellini; Zadina, Ryfors, Lemieux; Knak, Nussbaumer, Egli; Komarov.
IFK Helsinki: Alnefelt; Ervasti, Melart; Larsen, Ragnarsson; Schneller, Pezzullo; Salmela; Marleau, Kodytek, Mäkiaho; Josling, Ashbrook, Somervuori; Akeson, Sinivuori, Palmu; Fahrni, Lundell; Seppälä; Karjalainen.
